1. Logistics

A. Regular season structure

A round-robin, with optional pods for larger fields. Each team plays each team in its pod once (odd numbers = one bye). Round-robin games may finish tied (declared up front); the LASC then sets the finals format (see §4.C).

B. Field setup & layout

The diamond and core setup are identical to the League:

• Bases 18.288 m (60 ft) apart; pitcher’s plate central, with a 3 m mound radius.
• Foul territory ~3 m off the 1st/3rd lines; sideline area beyond it (ball into the sideline = one extra base).
• Same 1 m × 1 m strike zone, double first base, and safety home plate rules.
• Outfield boundary line — discouraged in Guardian, but if used: a ball bouncing/deflecting over it = one base; a deliberate fielder knock-over = two; a clean kick over on the full = two bases (not a home run).

C. Equipment & uniforms

Same as the League:

• Official ball: the red kickball, ~25 cm.
• Appropriate attire; no props on the field.
• Footwear: soft or rubber cleats only — no steel cleats or hard toe caps.
• Nothing sharp on your clothing; anything you wear or hold counts as part of you.

D. Referees

Up to three referees (Head at home, two Line referees). They have full jurisdiction and — a key Guardian point — the rules do not require warnings for infractions, so referees are empowered to rule immediately. Only the captain (or designee) may query a call, once play has stopped.

E. Teams

• Max 15 members; field a minimum of 7 and maximum of 10 at a time (pitcher and catcher mandatory if short).
• Be ready 10 minutes before start, or when officials call the pre-game captains’ meeting.
• A coin toss or rock-paper-scissors sets home and away.
• Equal playing time; fixed kicking order; late arrivals join the end of the order.
• Players must be 18+ and currently registered.

F. Base coaches & G. Attendance

Two base coaches per kicking team, in foul territory only. To qualify for Finals, a Guardian player must have missed no more than 2 scheduled games (exceptions for injury or competing commitments).

2. Game outline

A. Games

• Minimum 3 completed innings for a regulation game.
• Max 7 innings, 60 minutes, or until the Mercy Rule — whichever is first.
• “Last inning” is announced at the 45-minute mark.
• If 60 minutes passes mid-inning, the score reverts to the previous completed inning — unless the Head Referee extends time to finish the inning (see below).
• A tied regulation game goes to sudden death (see §4.D).

B. Cancelled games

Decided by the LASC (or referees if none are present) for weather, unsafe conditions, an immovable injury, public-health limits or a critical incident. Before 3 innings, reschedule; after 3 innings, the last completed score stands.

D. Forfeits

No 7 original members 10 minutes after start = forfeit (no substitutes to top up). The team that doesn’t forfeit wins 7–0; neither able to field = double forfeit (0–0, both lose).

E. Substitutions & designated runner

3. Game play

B. Strikes & C. Balls

Same as the League: three strikes is an out, with a two-strike courtesy foul; four balls is a walk (strut to first if you like — “strut, strut, strut!”). A pitch is a ball if it’s outside the zone, above knee height, lacks momentum, or — note — doesn’t meet the two-bounce pitching requirement.

D. Fair balls & E. Foul balls

Fair/foul definitions match the League. Foul balls count as strikes (four in a row = out). One difference: a ball caught in foul territory puts the kicker out, but play can continue — base runners must tag up before advancing.

F. Kicking

Kick with a foot on the ground behind the front of the zone. On an improper kicking-order claim, no warnings are given — the intended kicker (and any skipped kickers) are out and play reverts.

H. Fielding

• Field 7–10 (pitcher/catcher mandatory if short). Once the pitcher releases the ball, two infielders may advance on the kicker (behind the pitcher’s line, no closer than 1.5 m); every other fielder holds until the ball is kicked. Outfielders aren’t frozen — they may reposition, but must stay in fair territory and no closer than 5 m to the diamond until the kick (an encroachment line, not a freeze).
• No infield-fly rule. A ball kicked high into the air over the infield (a “pop-up”) isn’t an automatic out; it’s played live — only an out if a fielder actually catches it.
• Catcher positioning: the catcher must start each play behind the kicker and, before the kick, may not cross home plate, move in front of the kicker, make contact, or stand so close it restricts the kicking motion.
• Overthrow into the sideline area = one extra base (two if deliberate).
• 3rd out at home: a run counts only if the runner beats the third out — and never on a force-play third out or a kick put out before first.

I. Outs

Three outs end the half-inning. Ways to be out:

• Your kick is caught on the full, fair or foul (runners must tag up before advancing).
• A fielder with the ball touches the base you’re forced to before you reach it.
• You’re tagged off base, or hit by the ball at shoulder height or below — this is a safety rule. A throw to the head or neck does not cause an upright runner to be out (they’re not-out and may advance); but a runner who slides, ducks, or isn’t in a natural running position and is hit in the head/neck is out.
• You stray off the base path, miss a base, pass another runner, or aren’t on your base when the ball is pitched (no warning — straight out).
• You’re hit by a kicked ball off base, or you touch the main home plate instead of the safety plate.
• Any combination of four strikes/fouls.

Because the commitment line is mandatory, once a runner crosses it the catcher only needs to touch the main home plate to make the out.

J. Obstruction & K. Interference

Same principles as the League: fielders out of an active play stay clear of the path; interference ends the play with the appropriate penalty, and intentional interference (Head Referee’s call) is an automatic out.

4. Team standings & finals

Standings follow Section VI.F of the Bylaws. Finals: minimum 3, maximum 7 innings with no finish-time limit; “last inning” at 45 minutes (25 for round-robin finals). Finals structure (Round-Robin, Knockout or Single Elimination) is set by the LASC before the season.

5. Other

Critical incident: any event causing (or likely to cause) significant harm or reputational damage.

Cancellation policy: “We play, unless we’re sure we can’t” — notice via email, text, social media and the ECKB website, ideally 1–2 hours out; when in doubt, assume games are on.

Make-up games: the LASC will try to make up to two cancelled games (double-headers or an extra week).

6. Glossary & attachments

Open the glossary of kickball terms

Courtesy foul

With two strikes, an extra foul that doesn’t count as strike three.

Designated runner

A teammate who runs for a kicker — not permitted in Guardian games.

Extending time (referee discretion)

The Head Referee may extend play past the time cap to complete the inning in progress, rather than reverting to the previous inning (Rule 2.A.5.1).

Home plate commitment line

~3 m before home; once crossed you can’t turn back. Mandatory in Guardian games.

Knockout

Leading by 15+ at the end of the completed 4th inning.

Mercy

7 runs in an inning ends that half-inning.

Substitution

Filling in for another team — in Guardian, only when injury drops a team below the minimum.

Tag-up

Re-touching your base after a catch before advancing.

Tie breaker

The sudden-death extra inning used for any tied Guardian game.

Attachments (reference)

• A — Field: diamond, 18.288 m bases, ~3 m foul territory, sideline area beyond.
• A.1 — Strike zone: ~1 m × 1 m; ball below knee height with enough pace.
• A.2–A.3 — Safety bases: orange safety first base ~30 cm out; safety home plate ~1 m left of the main plate.
• B — Equipment: red kickball ~25 cm; athletic cleats/sports shoes; no heels, platforms, open-toe sandals or steel-cap boots.

Attachment C — Referee signals

Signal	Means
Arms extended horizontally	Safe
Fist raised / circular motion	Out or strike
Both arms raised, hands open	Time out or foul ball
One arm extended, pointing	Fair ball

National Guardian Rules v1.1, Emerald City Kickball Incorporated — Adopted 31 January 2026. This web version is a plain-English reproduction; the official rulebook is authoritative. No local area may vary these rules without express NMC consent.